ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Iraqi forces have declared the total liberation of Iraq from ISIS.
Iraqi Lieutenant General Abdel Amir Yarallah, said in a statement that several infantry and mechanized divisions on Saturday controlled areas along the Syrian border and thus, the liberation "of all Iraqi territory" from ISIS.
Iraq's popular mobilization forces (PMF) also contributed to the fight against ISIS holdouts in the area between Nineveh and Anbar provinces.
The statement added that Syrian and Iraqi forces now control all ports of the Euphrates north of the Al-Qaim border crossing and 605 total kilometers of the border.
AFP first reported Iraqi Prime Minister had declared the "end of the war against ISIS" in the country.
Our heroic armed forces have now secured the entire length of the Iraq-Syria border. We defeated Daesh through our unity and sacrifice for the nation. Long live Iraq and its people
— Haider Al-Abadi (@HaiderAlAbadi) December 9, 2017
"As we reached this spot, we declare the war against the terrorists of ISIS is now over," he said, according to state media at an Arab Media Union Conference in Baghdad.
"We have defeated an enemy which sought relentlessly to kill our civilization. But we stood firmly and defeated it. We have crushed ISIS," Abadi added.
The US operation of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS also announced the military victory.
In conjunction with partner forces, @CJTFOIR defeats ISIS in designated areas of Iraq and Syria and sets conditions for follow-on operations to increase regional stability.https://t.co/AmcTYmAqiE
— Inherent Resolve (@CJTFOIR) December 9, 2017
Iraqi forces and Hashd al-Shaabi militias launched a major drive to clear areas of the al-Jazeera region on Friday.
ISIS overran much of Iraq in 2014. Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces backed by the international coalition liberated the country's second-largest city of Mosul in July after a nine-month joint offensive.
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